FIFA's 'The Best' Awards Ceremony to be Held Online This Tuesday

FIFA has announced that the ninth edition of 'The Best' awards ceremony will be held online this Tuesday, December 17. The decision comes as FIFA struggled to find a suitable date for the event until March 2025.

The awards, which honour the top players, coaches and teams in men's and women's football, have been eagerly anticipated by fans and participants alike. This year, the ceremony will distribute twelve prestigious awards, including The Best FIFA Men's Player, The Best FIFA Women's Player and The Best FIFA Men's and Women's Coaches.

Voting for these awards closed on December 10, with votes cast by 211 national team captains, 211 national coaches, a journalist from each country, and fans worldwide. "We are excited to see the global football community come together to celebrate excellence in the sport," said a FIFA spokesperson.

The nominees for The Best FIFA Men's Player include Lionel Messi (Argentina, Inter Miami), Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City) and Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid). On the women's side, Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona) and Barbra Banda (Zambia, Shanghai Shengli/Orlando Pride) lead the nominations.

In addition to the player awards, categories such as The Best FIFA Men's and Women's Goalkeepers, The FIFA Fan Award and the newly introduced FIFA Marta Award for the best goal in women's football will also be presented.

Fans can follow the ceremony live on FIFA.com, where the winners will be announced in real-time.